In Karimunjawa, the sea is both a source of livelihood and a source of change.
For years, coastal communities have depended on fishing, seaweed farming and other marine resources. Now, as tourism expands, more residents are earning income from guesthouses, transportation, food services and other tourism-related businesses.
The shift has created new economic opportunities. It has also placed greater pressure on the environment that makes tourism possible in the first place.
That tension is at the center of a study conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Negeri Semarang, or FISIP UNNES, in Kemujan Village, Karimunjawa District, Jepara Regency.
The research, carried out on May 10, 2026, was led by Dr. Atika Wijaya, S.A.P., M.Si. and examines how the principles of the blue economy can support more sustainable tourism in small-island communities.
“Karimunjawa is an important example of how coastal and small-island regions are facing increasingly complex development dynamics,” Atika said.
“Tourism has opened new economic opportunities for local communities, but at the same time it has created challenges for environmental and social sustainability.”
The research involved the Kemujan Village Government, coastal community groups, tourism business operators, fishers, seaweed farmers and local residents.
Through in-depth interviews and field observations, the research team examined changing livelihoods and the ways tourism growth has affected access to coastal resources.
In many coastal areas, such economic shifts are rarely simple. Tourism can generate higher incomes, while also increasing dependence on a sector that is vulnerable to environmental degradation and fluctuations in visitor numbers.
For Karimunjawa, the issue is especially important because both the local economy and the tourism industry rely on the same resource: the sea.
“Through this research, we want to understand how blue economy principles can be applied in tourism governance so that economic benefits can be shared by local communities without sacrificing the sustainability of marine resources that support their lives,” Atika said.
The blue economy approach places economic growth and marine conservation within the same framework. The sea can generate jobs and income, but its use must not undermine the long-term health of coastal and marine ecosystems.
In Kemujan, that challenge is reflected in the increasingly close relationship between fishers, seaweed farmers, tourism operators, village officials and residents.
Some people continue to depend directly on the sea for their livelihoods. Others are moving into tourism. Many are now connected to both.
That transition means coastal management can no longer rely on a single sector or institution.
The Kemujan Village Government said the rapid growth of tourism has brought significant changes to both the community and the coastal environment.
“We welcome this research because Karimunjawa is undergoing major changes as tourism continues to grow,” a village representative said.
The village government said the findings could help inform development policies that balance economic interests, social needs and environmental protection.
The research also seeks to develop a collaborative governance model for small-island regions, bringing together local government, coastal communities, fishers, seaweed farmers, tourism operators and universities in the decision-making process.
For the FISIP UNNES research team, Karimunjawa offers a clear picture of a dilemma faced by many coastal communities: how to gain economic benefits from the sea without exhausting the resources that make those benefits possible.
